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Santa Fe Style
Talking to someone in Santa Fe about architecture can be an adventure. Terms like "viga" and "nicho" are referred to as readily as "window'' or "fence.'' Here is a list of local architectural terms that will help you talk like a local when looking for your dream home.
Enjoy!!!
Acequia Man made irrigation ditch. Adobe Mud brick that is dried in the sun. The first adobe bricks were used 8,500 years ago in the Middle East. Alameda Spanish for "Cottonwood Tree.'' This word has come to mean a road bordered by cottonwoods. Anasazi Ancestral Pueblo Indians; the "Ancients."Arroyo Dry riverbed that fills occasionally. Aspen Tree High elevation deciduous (drops it's leaves in fall) tree with leaves that turn gold in the fall. Banco A bench made of adobe and covered with plaster. Bosque Low-lying area near rivers, densely forested with cottonwoods and other deciduous trees. Camino "Road" in Spanish. Canale A roof spout that carries water off a flat pueblo roof. Casa "House" or "home" in Spanish. Coping Decorative detail on the top edge of a building and around doors and windows. Corbel Short sculpted beam lying on top of a post or wall. Escarpment Ordinances New laws in the Santa Fe area prohibiting building on and excavation of mountainsides beyond a certain steepness. Farolito "Little Lantern", typically a paper bag with a sand ballast and candle, lighted for Christmas festivities. Referred to as a Luminaria outside of Santa Fe. Flagstone Flat sheets of red or white stone mined locally, used for flooring in homes and on patios. Historic Styles Ordinances Regulations governing the architectural style of all buildings within the Historic District of downtown Santa Fe. Horno Freestanding adobe bread oven found at most pueblos and Indian homes. Juniper Tree High-desert evergreen that seldom grows more than 15 feet tall. Kiva A small "beehive-shaped" fireplace. La Fonda "The Hotel" in Spanish. La Posada "The Inn" in Spanish. Latillas Small branches used as ceiling planking, made of Aspen, pine or cedar. Lintel Wooden beam bridging window or door openings. Luminaria Fire built on the sidewalk on Christmas Eve for carolers to gather around. (See also Farolito.) Mesa Flattop mountain called "a table" in Spanish. Nicho Small shelf carved into a wall. Paseo Passage or walkway, or "to promenade." Piñon Tree High-desert nut-bearing evergreen tree. Plaza Public square in the center of town, site of traditional evening paseo or "promenade." Portal Patio attached to a home, covered with a fixed roof supported by posts. Puerta "Door" in Spanish. Rumford Fireplace Tall, shallow fireplace known for great efficiency. Saltillo Tile Simple fired earthen tile made in Saltillo, Mexico. Stucco Final cement color coat plastered in the exterior of an adobe-style building. Talavera Tile Colorful hand-decorated Mexican tile used for counter tops and trim. Ventana "Window" in Spanish. Vigas Round logs used as ceiling beams, either shaved or raw.
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